


There's Hope for the Future

by sheisagenius



Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: During the last week of december 2016, F/M, Quintis - Freeform, Scorpion Secret Santa 2016, Set after the upcoming 3x11 xmas ep, convo about the false pregnancy since the writers so conveniently let that fizzle out, hope you like it nat :), urgh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 02:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8827654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheisagenius/pseuds/sheisagenius
Summary: Happy and Toby take some time off to visit New York, and end up confronting more than they expected.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tobyquinns](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=tobyquinns).



Happy’s grumbling. It happens every few minutes, after the cold, bitter wind hits her in the face. She wonders if it annoys Toby, but knowing him he probably thinks it’s adorable more than anything. The snow crunches beneath their feet and she looks ahead, looks at the bright lights and illuminated storefronts and people all bundled up.

She’s never really experienced snow like this before, not when there’s no case keeping their attention, inevitable danger and near death looming over their heads. It’s nice for a while, she thinks, but her California self is not used to this New York cold and she feels Toby wrap an arm around her when her teeth start chattering. 

It was his idea to visit the city the week after Christmas, and although she hadn’t been thrilled at the prospect of snow and freezing temperatures, she needed a break from work and the team, especially after their cabin vacation gone wrong. Also, not that she’d admit it, even though Toby had probably already figured it out, but she was curious to experience a part of Toby’s childhood with him.

She’s lost in her thoughts when Toby steers her into the warm interior of a building, a coffee shop she determines, by the way a delicious smell wafts into her nose and makes her forget the cold for a moment. She looks up at him, and he winks at her.

“Gotta keep you from freezing, Hap.” In a moment, she’s alone in the near middle of the cozy shop while Toby saunters over to the counter like he’s been here a million times before.

She watches him for a moment as he orders for the both of them and then glances around, spying a small empty table in a corner. Weaving through the all the tables becomes slightly challenging while wearing a thick winter coat, but Happy finally reaches her chosen table and sits down as the shop’s door jingles open. A laughing couple walks in and Happy can’t help but be drawn to the woman’s clearly pregnant stomach.

Her focus is broken when Toby walks back, coffees and a plate in hand, as he turns his head in the direction she was looking. A sad smile appears on his face when he spots the woman and her partner. Happy takes her drink, eyeing the plate curiously before he sets it down, but the curiosity can’t mask the frown that’s been slowly pulling at the corners of her mouth.

“I got us some bagels, so you can see what a real one tastes like,” he offers, knowing she’ll talk when she’s ready.

She takes a half of one silently, trying to not get cream cheese all over her hand.

 

* * *

 

Toby’s yapping on about bagels, more so to fill the silence than anything while he finishes his coffee. She’s been deconstructing the light fixtures on the wall in her head to distract herself, but her thoughts won’t let her.

“One month, three weeks, two days.” 

Toby’s words die in his throat mid sentence and Happy hates that she can remember exactly how long it’s been. Her ring sparkles under the light in her peripheral vision; that also happened one month, three weeks, and two days ago. She wishes a little bit that it weren’t tainted by loss. 

“Happy--” Toby reaches for her hand, which she lets him take, but keeps her eyes trained on him. A silent plea to let her speak.

It’s kind of relieving to not be in the garage at the moment or near the team. She feels less constricted, like being away from where it happened is making it easier to organize her thoughts and synthesize her feelings more thoroughly. They had talked about it after, Toby had insisted, but everything was still so raw then that her head felt like machines she’d work on; a mess of wires and parts. It’s clearer now, like breathing after surfacing from under water. 

“I know there was never a baby. I didn’t lose anything but it feels like I did. And I know we’ll have one someday, but it felt real.” 

There are tears glimmering in her eyes and Toby scoots his chair closer to hers, wrapping his arms around her.

“I know, the feeling of loss is real. Don’t ignore it just because the pregnancy wasn’t.” Toby’s words are comforting in her ear and she feels him hug her tighter when she sniffles.

“I loved it, Toby,” she says, almost imperceptibly, and it’s an uncharacteristically long moment before she hears his voice again.

“I did too, Hap, so much. I barely slept that week. I never thought I’d get a chance to be a dad. I had never really even thought about the possibility until you said you were pregnant that day.”

Happy peeks over Toby’s shoulder at the woman. She’s engrossed in conversation but her hand rests on her bump. Happy finds herself touching her own stomach for a moment, almost as if she were testing reality.

Toby’s staring wistfully at nothing in particular and Happy reaches for his hand. “I’m scared I’m going to die when it does happen, like my mom…” She trails off when Toby whips his head around to look at her, eyes wide and earnest.

“Don’t say that. Things have come a long way in twenty eight years. Trust me, Happy.” He cradles her cheek in his hand with a look so serious that Happy can’t help but feel her eyes tear up again. “When it happens, because it will, you and our kid are both going to come out healthy. I’m gonna make sure of it.”

Happy manages a weak smile and kisses him, fast and hard.

 

* * *

 

The coffee shop is a little emptier now. For a while Toby was reading people and sharing his observations with Happy. She’d acknowledge him every few minutes, but her thoughts still linger on their conversation. It had been cathartic in a way she hadn’t expected, but was grateful for.

She looks over at the pregnant woman again, and surprisingly the first thing she feels is hope instead of the sadness from earlier.

“Our kid’s going to be lucky to have you as a dad,” she says quietly, interjecting into his rambling. Happy lets out a small laugh, feeling her heart lighten up a bit. “Makes up for having me as a mom.”

Toby stares at her in disbelief. “Are you kidding? I’ll manage, you’ll make sure of that, Hap. But like I said, our kid is going to be the luckiest kid in the world to have you as a mom.”

She looks at him silently, cautiously, and he smiles back at her like he knows this aspect of their future is set in stone.

Happy rests her head on his shoulder, letting the seconds stretch into one another until they hear chairs scraping the floor again. The pregnant woman and her partner are putting on their coats, and Happy can’t tear her eyes away. The door jingles open when they walk out, and she can feel the cold breeze reach their table and shivers, reminded of where they are.

It’s a while before either of them speak again, the sound of steam and liquid being poured and chatter filling their ear. She feels Toby kiss her forehead, the gentle touch of it pulling her attention back to him.

“I’m still sad, Happy, and I know you are too,” he pauses, and she can tell that it’s hard for him to get the words out. “And it’s not going to go away overnight, but it will one day. We’re going to have the cutest little baby when the time is right. We’re going to have a family of not just two.”

Happy can feel the corners of her mouth pulling upward, the anticipation of part of their future already a comfort. She takes one last drink from her cup, savoring the barely warm liquid before turning to look at Toby. 

“Do you think the time will be right next year?” She’d be lying if she said she weren’t hopeful, and Toby slowly grins at her. 

“Who knows, Hap. A lot can change in a year. Next New Years might turn out to be a lot better than this year’s.” He squeezes her hand before following her lead and standing up. “But you know, it really wouldn’t take much for next year to be better than this year. Thank god we only have a day left of 2016.”

Happy laughs, pulling him through the coffee shop and out the door. It only takes a moment before the cold makes her cringe and Toby laugh, so she pulls him down until she’s level with his ear.

“If we go back to our room maybe we can make the last couple hours of the year really good? Maybe you can warm me up a little?” she whispers, pressing a kiss to his cheek when she hears his breath hitch.

She feels her lips quirking up and watches Toby’s cheeks turn red, not from the cold, when he smiles.

“Done and done.”


End file.
